Sometimes I wonder; Do I paint my own retina to fall asleep - and wake up - to...?

"When the soul wishes to experience something she throws an image of the experience out before her and enters into her own image."
(M. Eckhart)


Monday, July 14, 2014

My own work this year; Threads...(Ephemeral), Planting Branches....(Rejuvenation)...and Painting (Being... Alive)



So - after a rather busy time, of preparing and setting up the exhibition of Art Sanctuary's 'Enchanted Garden' (organizer and curator) -  I thought it is time to present a bit of my own work this year; presently on exhibit at Art Sanctuary - Station 14 (The gallery), and in The Enchanted Garden (outside).
- I will start with what I have come to think of as 'my Outside Canvas'; 'The Enchanted Garden' - A large and beautiful garden - in the heart of Europe, just on the 'border' between the Flemish and the French part of Belgium.
- Coming from Norway, with Magritte being my 'teen age hero', it's an experience with dimensions - and yes, you bet I see that 'Magritte Sky' - it's (Sur)Real! :))

It was the second year of Art Sanctuary's 'Enchanted Garden' - 2012 -
that my mother passed away - suddenly.
Which is when I started my work with the Threads....My mother always always worked with threads... yarns.....knitting....fishing lines....fishing nets....threads...threads....threads... Me, I was a painter, never good at knitting, fishing with nets yes...but never lines....never threads....
And somehow -
About 3 months later...On her birthday that same year (Oct. 27th) I managed to start this:
THREADS:
And then it continued......
'Threads of Thought'....

In 2013 I worked with a Flemish tapestry workshop (again working with threads), transferring several of my paintings into tapestries...and an installation; 'Forest Temple'. (Ref. documentation), dedicated to my mother.

During the autumn and winter of 2013-2014 I continued working with the threads in the forest... now referring to 'Norne-tråder' (i norrøn mytologi er tre norner alltid tilstede når et menneske blir født; Urd, Verdande, og Skuld) - According to Norse mythology three Norns are always present at the birth of a human; Urd, the eldest, spins the thread (of the human life), Verdande is the Norn who measures the thread....and Skuld, the youngest of the Norns, is the one who will cut the thread when the life will end (and, being the youngest, Skuld  also tends to play a bit, sometimes making difficulties/challenges...during the life of the human.)
 
TODAY:
A large 'Room' of Threads...in the forest, twelve trees are the 'pillars'; flickering light through the treetops - the scent of earth, the sky above reflected in the little well below, Urd's well, and her spinning wheel nearby; Spinning the 'Threads of Norns'. A place to sit and contemplate....Life, Nature...Being... (Copyright Tone Aanderaa)
 
CLICK TO ENLARGE:
 



 
My threads are of jute; to me they symbolize the ephemeral.
(The jute threads will disappear within a relatively short time).
 
PLANTING WILLOWS;
My other work on my 'outside canvas' this year is somehow about the very opposite;
Placing cut branches, normally dead after a short time, in the ground
(when and if this ground and soil will allow it - which it does here!)
is something I have always dreamed of, but never saw the possibility of where I lived in Norway (too much rock, not enough suitable soil).....
 
Doing a necessary cutting of several willows autumn 2013 'donated' a huge pile of branches to this dream of mine.
And so, I started putting branches in the ground, not sure what to believe...would or would they not come to life  - again?
It was a VERY interesting Spring!
Rejuvenation!
(Selected works:)
 
Forest Chapel
 
Liminal Trail

Arches
 
 
MY PAINTINGS:
(a few selected)
 
My paintings this last year are inspired by my sister's family visiting the garden here last year; in particular my little nieces.
 Being....Alive..
 
'Girl on th Stairs' (Oil on canvas, 60 cm x 70 cm)
(Sold)
 
'Awesome' (Oil on canvas, 50 cm x 60 cm)
(Sold)
(this little girl is also the 'guide' showing the way through the exhibition)

'Blomsterpike' (Oil on canvas, 60 cm x 50 cm)
(Welcomes you back from the garden)
 
'Run- run - run!
(Oil on canvas, 50 cm x 60 cm)
 
'Touch' ('Wishing is an Act of Magic')
(Oil on canvas, 60 cm x 50 cm)

'Madame Automne'
(oil on canvas, 80 cm x 60 cm)
 
High quality prints of the paintings can be ordered here:

Finally, I'd like to share my installation based on several paintings this year;
TEMPLE OF WISHES:
Based on several different paintings this year.
 
And finally:
 
I created the artwork for the two CD's now playing as sound installations in the Enchanted Garden:

Artwork Copyright: Tone Aanderaa
Artwork Copyright: Tone Aanderaa

 
 (All artwork and photos Copyright Tone Aanderaa)
 
The exhibition at Art Sanctuary's Enchanted Garden is open till August 3rd -
see further information: www.art-sanctuary.blogspot.com
 
WELCOME - BIEN VENUE - WELKOM -VELKOMMEN